Admin’s moves roil placid waters of Lakshadweep; sparks political row in Kerala

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Thiruvananthapuram: The placid, coral-ringed waters around the picturesque Lakshadweep islands have turned abruptly turbulent over the move of the Administrator Proful Kohda Patel to come out with a set of rules and regulations to govern the smallest Union Territory.

A former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister from Gujarat, Patel was appointed as the Lakshadweep Administrator by the Centre in December 2020, while he was holding the same position in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu, near to his home state.

The trigger for the hue and cry in Lakshadweep, and much more vociferously in mainland Kerala, is the proposed Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LDAR), put in the public domain by the island Administration recently.

While sections of islanders, and the political parties up in arms in both the island and the mainland opposed to the BJP, alleged that the draft regulation to set up the proposed agency forms part of a clear-cut plan to infringe on the centuries-old and social and cultural identity of the Muslim-majority atolls. They argue that this unilateral move is also meant to take away the special rights and privileges of the local community to open up the sun-kissed beaches to big business interests from outside.

The BJP leaders, mostly from Kerala where the issue is far more hotly debated and passions roused, trash this narrative, holding that the draft proposal and other orders of the island Administration were meant for the overall development of the long-neglected islands and the prosperity of its residents. They accuse Congress and the CPI(M)  of brazenly whipping up sectarian passions for political advantage. It is further alleged that the entire campaign is based on a malevolently crafted ‘toolkit’ planted in media, including the digital platforms, to open a new front against the Centre by seeking to create ill-will among the island people.       

Those who have red-flagged the decisions of Patel included Kerala Chief Minister and CPI(M) strongman  Pinarayi Vijayan and top Congress leaders from within and outside Kerala.  While the UDF, headed by the Congress, held a ‘ Save Lakshadweep’ day recently, the CPI(M) has mounted a media blitzkrieg with a fervent call on people to come out in solidarity with the islanders.

The protesters allege that not just LDAR but many other decisions of the administration smacked of a political agenda, as they would flagrantly encroach upon the religious and cultural susceptibilities of the islanders. They cite, for instance, orders that stipulate on an all-vegetarian menu in canteens of educational institutions and public offices to substantiate the charge.

The detractors of the Administrator also ask what is the ground for proposing a Goonda Act all of a sudden for Lakshadweep,  long reputed as a crime-free haven even by the Government statistics.  Noting that the office of the administrator in the Union Territory was mostly held by civil servants in the past, they hold that the very appointment of Patel was part of a tacit move by the Centre to impose complete authority over the islands.

The Lakshadweep islands,  known for their unsurpassed beauty, comprise a collection of 36 atolls, only a few of which are human-inhabited. The permanent residents of the islands are entirely Muslims. The entry for the mainlanders to the islands is restricted as they need, except in the case of officials, an entry permit to visit the island. Though tourism is an officially recognized activity, it is governed by checks and balances. A major worry of islanders over the recent developments is that unrestricted tourism activities would culturally and physically pollute the pristine islands.

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Apart from the geographic proximity, Kerala and Lakshadweep have strong religious and cultural bonds, dating back centuries. A  Muslim royal house in Malabar had the titular rights over the Lakshadweep. For a long, the administration of Lakshadweep was mostly conducted from offices in Kozhikode. The islanders used to frequently come to Kerala for official and business needs and an entire generation of young islanders had their higher education mostly in institutions in the state. Beypore port, located close to Kozhikode and once globally famed for its locally made vessels, had been the main maritime link with the Lakshadweep, before much of the sea-bound business diverted to Mangalore in Karnataka. So, it was not surprising that the developments in Lakshadweep have their repercussions in Kerala.

As the Lakshadweep-related campaign rages on media with the rival sides launching broadsides against each other, what is eagerly awaited is the views of the Union Government on the issue.